LAHORE (Oct 13) – At least five people were killed, including a police officer and three protesters, after violent clashes erupted between Pakistani police and members of the hardline Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) during an anti-Israel march on the country’s busiest highway, authorities said on Monday.
The confrontation occurred in Muridke, near Lahore, as police tried to disperse hundreds of TLP supporters marching towards Islamabad along the historic Grand Trunk Road. The rally, which began Friday, was organized to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza and express solidarity with Palestinians following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
According to police, TLP supporters opened fire on officers and torched more than 40 vehicles, sparking a three-hour gun battle that left dozens injured on both sides. A police statement confirmed the deaths of one officer, three protesters, and a bystander. Scores of protesters were also arrested.
Authorities said the entry and exit routes to Islamabad, which had been sealed since the march began, were partially reopened on Monday.
The TLP, known for its frequent and often violent street demonstrations, claimed that police fired first, killing and wounding several of its members. The group also said its leader Saad Rizvi was injured after being hit by three bullets. Provincial authorities have not commented on the allegation.
“Our march is against Israel’s atrocities,” Rizvi told reporters on Sunday before the clashes. “We only wanted to march peacefully to Islamabad to express solidarity with the people of Palestine,” he said, adding that the TLP has previously organized campaigns to boycott Israeli products.
The violence in Pakistan coincided with a major diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East, where Hamas released the final 20 surviving Israeli hostages under a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.
The deal marked the end of a two-year war that began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages during a surprise cross-border attack.
Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes, bombardments, and ground assaults have since devastated Gaza, killing more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The conflict displaced hundreds of thousands and triggered what aid agencies describe as one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades.
Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high in parts of the Muslim world, with protests erupting in several countries, including Pakistan, where Islamist groups like the TLP have used pro-Palestine demonstrations to mobilize political support and challenge the government.
Trump Blasts India-Russia Ties: ‘They Can Take Their Dead Economies Down Together’